There is much discussion and debate today as to whether or not Jesus Christ was indeed the Son of God and whether or not His death on a cross on “Skull Hill” was indeed real and with this, whether or not He redeemed the sin of mankind.
For those who try today to analyze, scrutinize, and ostracize there may be much to debate and discuss, but for certain individuals on the day of Jesus death there was no mistake to its validity.
1) For the obscure priest who was on duty during the day of Jesus death, there was no mistake.
He saw something with his own eyes that had never before happened since the Holy of holies had been instituted clear back in the desert of Sinai under Moses’ leadership. The temple veil was rent from top to bottom. This was definitely a sign from God make no mistake about it: the veil was ripped from the top to the bottom.
If this would have been a man-made effort, the rip would have started at ground level and worked its way up. But God was opening a fresh way into the Holy of holies. Man, through the death of God’s Son, could now “come boldly into the throne room of grace” to “find grace to help in time of need.”
This fact was later reported to the disciples and became a fact in history. Make no mistake, even if the priest on duty, the day of Christ’s death, didn’t become a believer, he couldn’t deny that the ripping of the temple veil was from God. We can rejoice today, a new way has been opened up for us to God.
2) For those who saw their loved ones come back to life, it was clear that this death of Christ’s was real.
How often do we hear stories of loved ones who were buried a few years ago come back to life and walk up and down the streets of our town “appearing to many people.” And yet, the day Christ died this was exactly what happened. The Bible shows us that this went on perhaps for three days. How? Listen to Matthew’s account:
“They came out of the tombs, and after Jesus’ resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many people.”
They came out of the tombs at Christ’s death and went into Jerusalem on the day He rose again from the dead. For those who saw their loved ones, I believe there was no mistake the Christ was the Son of God.
3) For the Roman Centurion on duty, Christ left an indelible mark on his life.
This man wasn’t even a Jew. Perhaps he had never even met Christ before His crucifixion. However, the three hours that took place between noon and 3 p.m., were loaded with some powerful evidence. The ground shook; there was such darkness that the sun didn’t shine; even Christ called out to His Father as He forsook Him. The response: a man who knew little about Christ before these three hours had no other statement than, “Truly this man was the Son of God.”
So the world may debate Him, question His deity, and even speculate His reality, but for the eyewitnesses of the graveyards, a priest, and a centurion, Christ’s death was real. And for one, He was the Son of God.
Matthew 27:45-56; Mark 15:33-41; Luke 23:44-49; John 19:28-30
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